Green Energy
The Washington Post responds:
Obama's Farrakhan Test
By Richard CohenTuesday,
January 15, 2008; A13
Barack Obama is a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan.
Maybe for Wright and some others, Farrakhan "epitomized greatness." For most Americans, though, Farrakhan epitomizes racism, particularly in the form of anti-Semitism. Over the years, he has compiled an awesome record of offensive statements, even denigrating the Holocaust by falsely attributing it to Jewish cooperation with Hitler -- "They helped him get the Third Reich on the road." His history is a rancid stew of lies.
It's important to state right off that nothing in Obama's record suggests he harbors anti-Semitic views or agrees with Wright when it comes to Farrakhan. Instead, as Obama's top campaign aide, David Axelrod, points out, Obama often has said that he and his minister sometimes disagree. Farrakhan, Axelrod told me, is one of those instances.
Fine. But where I differ with Axelrod and, I assume, Obama is that praise for an anti-Semitic demagogue is not a minor difference or an intrachurch issue. The Obama camp takes the view that its candidate, now that he has been told about the award, is under no obligation to speak out on the Farrakhan matter. It was not Obama's church that made the award but a magazine. This is a distinction without much of a difference. And given who the parishioner is, the obligation to speak out is all the greater. He could be the next American president. Where is his sense of outrage?
Any praise of Farrakhan heightens the prestige of the leader of the Nation of Islam. For good reasons and bad, he is already admired in portions of the black community, sometimes for his efforts to rehabilitate criminals. His anti-Semitism is either not considered relevant or is shared, particularly his false insistence that Jews have played an inordinate role in victimizing African Americans.
In this, Farrakhan stands history on its head. It was Jews who disproportionately marched for civil rights and, in Mississippi, died for that cause. Farrakhan and, in effect, Wright, despoil the graves of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and, of course, their black colleague James Chaney.
I can even see how someone, maybe even Obama, could dismiss Farrakhan as a pest, a silly man pushing a silly cause that poses no real threat to the Jewish community. Still, history tells us that anti-Semitism is not to be trifled with. It is a botulism of the mind.
The Obama and Clinton campaigns are involved in a tasteless tussle over the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. What is clear from rereading King's celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech of Aug. 28, 1963, is how inclusive that dream was -- "all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!' "
This, though, is not Farrakhan's dream. He has vilified whites and singled out Jews to blame for crimes large and small, either committed by others as well or not at all. (A dominant role in the slave trade, for instance.) He has talked of Jewish conspiracies to set a media line for the whole nation. He has reviled Jews in a manner that brings Hitler to mind.
And yet Wright heaped praise on Farrakhan. According to Trumpet, he applauded his "depth of analysis when it comes to the racial ills of this nation." He praised "his integrity and honesty." He called him "an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose." These are the words of a man who prayed with Obama just before the Illinois senator announced his run for the presidency. Will he pray with him just before his inaugural?
RevereRidesAgain writes in:
Here's the link for the "About Us" page of Trinity United Church of Christ:
http://www.tucc.org/about.htm.
Change "black" to "white" and "Africa" to "Europe" then estimate how long it would take the NYT or WaPo to feature a front page above-the-fold expose of this "racist" church.
But Obama gets a free pass because he doesn't always agree with Rev. Wright?
Wrong.
And do check out the video testimonials, but not if your blood sugar is an issue. They're "warm". They walk you to your car. Their church teaches them who they really are. So what if their preacher thinks Louis Farrakhan is a great man and a catayst for...
CHANGE?
- Perhaps, Obama Was Groomed To Achieve The Baathification Of The Democrat Pary
From Reliapundit at the Astute Bloggers: [FILE THIS ONE UNDER HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS AND EDGY NEAR-CONSPIRACY THEORIES.] THE BAATH PARTY IS THE PAN-ARAB/MUSLIM SOCIALIST PARTY OF THE LATE SADDAM AND ASSAD. AND IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH AL QAEDA AND CAIR.IS...
- How Many Nation Of Islam Members Will Work In An Obama White House?
I found this very informative article today. Like many here, I want answers! We must not stop asking the hard questions, even if we piss people off. This is OUR country too! Responding to criticism by Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, Barack...
- Farrakhan Praises Obama - Hails Him As Savior
UPDATED AT BOTTOM Louis Farrakhan is not fit to tie the sandals on Obama's feet, but that didn't stop him from hailing Obama as a savior, and comparing him to the founder of Nation of Islam. From Reliapundit, the Astute Blogger: IF THIS DOESN'T...
- Skeletons In Obama's Closet
Power and Control has a roundup of Obama's problems: Here is a round up of the skeletons in Obama's closet. I will be adding links as I find them. Check back. Obama goes to Church. A Black Supremacist Church Ronald Kessler comments on Obama's...
- Obama's Church Loves Farrakhan
All you might need to know about Obama's Church, from Melanie Phillips: Barack Obama belongs to the Trinity United Church in Chicago whose pastor is Rev Dr Jeremiah A Wright Jnr. Here is the church’s website. From it you will see that the church...
Green Energy
Obama's Chrurch Gives Award To Farrakhan
The Washington Post responds:
Obama's Farrakhan Test
By Richard CohenTuesday,
January 15, 2008; A13
Barack Obama is a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan.
Maybe for Wright and some others, Farrakhan "epitomized greatness." For most Americans, though, Farrakhan epitomizes racism, particularly in the form of anti-Semitism. Over the years, he has compiled an awesome record of offensive statements, even denigrating the Holocaust by falsely attributing it to Jewish cooperation with Hitler -- "They helped him get the Third Reich on the road." His history is a rancid stew of lies.
It's important to state right off that nothing in Obama's record suggests he harbors anti-Semitic views or agrees with Wright when it comes to Farrakhan. Instead, as Obama's top campaign aide, David Axelrod, points out, Obama often has said that he and his minister sometimes disagree. Farrakhan, Axelrod told me, is one of those instances.
Fine. But where I differ with Axelrod and, I assume, Obama is that praise for an anti-Semitic demagogue is not a minor difference or an intrachurch issue. The Obama camp takes the view that its candidate, now that he has been told about the award, is under no obligation to speak out on the Farrakhan matter. It was not Obama's church that made the award but a magazine. This is a distinction without much of a difference. And given who the parishioner is, the obligation to speak out is all the greater. He could be the next American president. Where is his sense of outrage?
Any praise of Farrakhan heightens the prestige of the leader of the Nation of Islam. For good reasons and bad, he is already admired in portions of the black community, sometimes for his efforts to rehabilitate criminals. His anti-Semitism is either not considered relevant or is shared, particularly his false insistence that Jews have played an inordinate role in victimizing African Americans.
In this, Farrakhan stands history on its head. It was Jews who disproportionately marched for civil rights and, in Mississippi, died for that cause. Farrakhan and, in effect, Wright, despoil the graves of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and, of course, their black colleague James Chaney.
I can even see how someone, maybe even Obama, could dismiss Farrakhan as a pest, a silly man pushing a silly cause that poses no real threat to the Jewish community. Still, history tells us that anti-Semitism is not to be trifled with. It is a botulism of the mind.
The Obama and Clinton campaigns are involved in a tasteless tussle over the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. What is clear from rereading King's celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech of Aug. 28, 1963, is how inclusive that dream was -- "all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!' "
This, though, is not Farrakhan's dream. He has vilified whites and singled out Jews to blame for crimes large and small, either committed by others as well or not at all. (A dominant role in the slave trade, for instance.) He has talked of Jewish conspiracies to set a media line for the whole nation. He has reviled Jews in a manner that brings Hitler to mind.
And yet Wright heaped praise on Farrakhan. According to Trumpet, he applauded his "depth of analysis when it comes to the racial ills of this nation." He praised "his integrity and honesty." He called him "an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose." These are the words of a man who prayed with Obama just before the Illinois senator announced his run for the presidency. Will he pray with him just before his inaugural?
RevereRidesAgain writes in:
Here's the link for the "About Us" page of Trinity United Church of Christ:
http://www.tucc.org/about.htm.
Change "black" to "white" and "Africa" to "Europe" then estimate how long it would take the NYT or WaPo to feature a front page above-the-fold expose of this "racist" church.
But Obama gets a free pass because he doesn't always agree with Rev. Wright?
Wrong.
And do check out the video testimonials, but not if your blood sugar is an issue. They're "warm". They walk you to your car. Their church teaches them who they really are. So what if their preacher thinks Louis Farrakhan is a great man and a catayst for...
CHANGE?
- Perhaps, Obama Was Groomed To Achieve The Baathification Of The Democrat Pary
From Reliapundit at the Astute Bloggers: [FILE THIS ONE UNDER HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS AND EDGY NEAR-CONSPIRACY THEORIES.] THE BAATH PARTY IS THE PAN-ARAB/MUSLIM SOCIALIST PARTY OF THE LATE SADDAM AND ASSAD. AND IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH AL QAEDA AND CAIR.IS...
- How Many Nation Of Islam Members Will Work In An Obama White House?
I found this very informative article today. Like many here, I want answers! We must not stop asking the hard questions, even if we piss people off. This is OUR country too! Responding to criticism by Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, Barack...
- Farrakhan Praises Obama - Hails Him As Savior
UPDATED AT BOTTOM Louis Farrakhan is not fit to tie the sandals on Obama's feet, but that didn't stop him from hailing Obama as a savior, and comparing him to the founder of Nation of Islam. From Reliapundit, the Astute Blogger: IF THIS DOESN'T...
- Skeletons In Obama's Closet
Power and Control has a roundup of Obama's problems: Here is a round up of the skeletons in Obama's closet. I will be adding links as I find them. Check back. Obama goes to Church. A Black Supremacist Church Ronald Kessler comments on Obama's...
- Obama's Church Loves Farrakhan
All you might need to know about Obama's Church, from Melanie Phillips: Barack Obama belongs to the Trinity United Church in Chicago whose pastor is Rev Dr Jeremiah A Wright Jnr. Here is the church’s website. From it you will see that the church...